No excuses, Chelsea were well worth their 5-1 Premiership victory and it could have been a lot worse for the hapless Hammers, who were torn apart in a one-sided second half.
Two goals apiece for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen and one late on for substitute Mikael Forssell added to the worst away defensive record in the league, while West Ham's misery was compounded by the sending off of Paolo Di Canio in the 69th minute.
Referee Andy D'Urso showed his sixth red card of the season after the Italian reacted angrily to a wild challenge by Jody Morris. Although the Chelsea midfielder initially connected with the ball, he then wrapped his left leg around the calves of the West Ham skipper, who responded by putting his boot into the groin of Morris.
Di Canio accepted his fate with a resigned scowl and shrug, pausing to shake the hand and stroke the face of Morris - who received a belated yellow card from D'Urso for a terrible tackle on Cole in the closing stages - before departing down the tunnel.
With him went any hope Hammers had of getting back into the game, although it was already 3-0 by then and a case of damage limitation.
Chelsea dominated for long periods of a game that, despite the rain-soaked, muddy surface and wet and windy conditions, still produced plenty of neat, flowing football, especially from the rampant Blues. That the home side led by just one at half-time was down to the brilliance of David James who, despite the scoreline, cannot be blamed for the scale of this dismal defeat.
Twice in the first half the West Ham keeper denied Chelsea what looked two certain goals. First, he threw himself to his left to divert Hasselbaink's ferocious free-kick onto the bar and over for a corner.
And after Mario Stanic saw his headed 'goal' rightly disallowed for climbing all over Nigel Winterburn, James came to the rescue again when he dived bravely at the feet of Gianfranco Zola after the classy Italian had dispossessed a hesitant Tomas Repka.
The watching Sven-Goran Eriksson can only have been very impressed by the all round outstanding performance of James, who deserved so much better from those in front of him.
Hammers' only real effort on goal came after 40 minutes when Joe Cole made a rare break from midfield, got into the Chelsea box, but his low, driven shot was held by keeper Cudicini.
Chelsea's first goal, on the stroke of half-time, was overdue and resulted from some schoolboy defending from a left-wing corner. Gudjohnsen found himself totally unmarked, six yards out, at the far post. And though James again produced heroics to block his shot, he could do nothing about the follow up - driven low through a pack of bodies by Hasselbaink.
The second half followed much the same pattern as the first, except that Hammers' defending became increasingly desperate. Gudjohnsen - is he using the wrong soap? - once again found himself in acres of space as he received John Terry's flighted chip beyond Repka, who had stayed in behind his three fellow defenders in the vain hope of an offside flag that was never going to come.
Two up after 50 minutes, Chelsea made it three on the hour when Hasselbaink spun between Repka and Sebastien Schemmel and, after a lucky rebound off the advancing James, scored in an open goal.
Frustration intensified for West Ham, who received strong vocal support from their suffering fans. Trevor Sinclair, who had little joy against Mario Melchiot on the left flank, was a little unfortunate to be yellow-carded for a sliding by-line challenge on Terry and then got himself injured just minutes later after coming off worst in a full-blooded 50/50 with Melchiot.
When Di Canio - who, along with Fredi Kanoute, had a quiet game - also saw red, you sensed that Chelsea would only pile on the agony - and they did. Gudjohnsen drove through the middle of West Ham's gaping defence to make it 4-0 on 86 minutes, but there was some small consolation for Hammers a minute later when Jermain Defoe scored his eighth of the season.
Cole, Don Hutchison and Schemmel worked the ball well down the right and when Schemmel crossed to the near post, there was the lightning fast Defoe, who turned inside Terry, before planting his right-foot shot beyond Cudicini.
Never mind West Ham, the England Under-21 star is right up there among the most deadliest strikers in the country.
Forssell completed the rout with a first-time shot following Stanic's skillful work on the right but, by then, Roeder's thoughts will have turned to the FA Cup fourth round and a rapid return to the scene of this resounding defeat.
Hammers won't have a hope unless they can defend with more concentration and force. But the manager may well also come to the conclusion that his leading scorer must start the game if they are to have genuine Cup aspirations.
For that video 'nasty' will show, yet again, that Defoe is the finest finisher at the Club.
Minute-by-minute:
2 - Hasselbaink's corner reaches Terry, whose shot is blocked.
10 - Zola cuts in from the left before firing a dangerous low shot that James does well to hold at the second attempt.
11 - Hutchison's effort from 30 yards out skids well wide of the target.
15 - Stanic's swirling effort is only parried out by James but Dailly is on hand to clear before Lampard's weak effort drops easily for the Hammers keeper.
21 - After Dailly's needless foul on Hasselbaink, the Dutch striker picks himself up to fire in a stunning free-kick that James tips brilliantly over the bar. From the resulting corner, Stanic's header is ruled out for a foul.
24 - Stanic booked for a foul on Hutchison.
29 - After Gudjohnsen releases Hasselbaink, Schemmel gets back well to distract the striker and Carrick clears the danger.
35 - Hasselbaink collects from Zola on the left but sends his cross over the head of the unmarked Gudjohnsen at the far post.
36 - James once again comes to the rescue as Repka's slip lets in Zola, who bears down on goal but sees his effort blocked by the inspired Hammers keeper.
38 - Zola booked for kicking the ball away.
40 - Melchiot's cross from the right is met by Stanic, who somehow directs his header away from goal and the ball is cleared by Schemmel. Cole then collects and runs at the defence before firing in a low shot that Cudicini holds well.
Added time: 2 minutes.
45 - GOAL. Chelsea take the lead in injury time as Zola's free-kick reaches the unmarked Gudjohnsen at the far post. His effort is well blocked by James, but the ball rebounds to Hasselbaink, who slams home a volley from eight yards out. Chelsea 1 West Ham United 0.
Half-time: Chelsea 1 West Ham United 0.
Second Half:
51 - GOAL. Carrick's misplaced pass is intercepted by Terry, who advances forward and picks out Gudjohnsen - unmarked again - on the left hand side of the penalty area. The Icelandic forward controls well and stabs his shot past James and in off the post. Chelsea 2 West Ham United 0.
55 - Di Canio's hooked pass almost releases Kanoute but Gallas clears.
60 - GOAL! It's turning into a nightmare for the Hammers, as Zola runs unchallenged through the middle of the field and threads a pass through for Hasselbaink, who sees his first effort saved by James but then taps in the follow-up. Chelsea 3 West Ham United 0.
61 - Sinclair booked for foul on Terry.
61 - Substitution for Chelsea, Morris replaces Petit.
65 - Substitution for West Ham, Courtois replaces the injured Sinclair.
66 - Zola skips on to Hasselbaink's square pass but places his shot just wide of the post.
68 - Cole's right foot shot from the edge of the area is deflected into the arms of Cudicini.
71 - Di Canio sent off for kicking out at Jody Morris after a diabolical challenge from Morris that goes unpunished.
74 - Substitution for Chelsea, Zenden replaces Zola.
79 - Morris booked for foul on Cole.
79 - Substitution for Chelsea, Forssell replaces Hasselbaink.
80 - Substitution for West Ham, Defoe replaces Kanoute.
86 - Lampard breaks up a Hammers attack and releases Gudjohnsen, whose side-footed effort is comfortably held by James.
87 - GOAL. More misery for the Hammers as Forssell skips across the area and plays in Gudjohnsen, who sidesteps Schemmel and tucks the ball past James. Chelsea 4 West Ham United 0.
88 - GOAL! A consolation for the visitors, as Hutchison threads a pass through for Defoe, who magnificently turns Desailly and confidently fires past Cudicini. Chelsea 4 West Ham United 1.
90 - GOAL. The Hammers' misery is complete as Stanic squares for Forssell to side-foot home. Chelsea 5 West Ham United 1.
Added time: 2 minutes.
Full-time: Chelsea 5 West Ham United 1.